Bacterial Antiviral Mechanism Triggers Growth Arrest through de novo Neo Gene

Scientists led by Sam Sternberg, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Columbia University have discovered a new mechanism of antiviral immunity in bacteria. Using a defense-associated reverse transcriptase system (DRT), usually employed in DNA synthesis, they turned off an infected cell’s growth, protecting the rest of the bacterial population from viruses. This challenges traditional views of gene annotation and size, and the central biology dogma.